“Your reign of terror dragged me down/Down further than before/I saw what I became/Half a monster and half your whore”

Before we say anything else, you have to be warned that Honey For Christ is a miserable bunch of fuckers. Despair, rejection, and loss: These are the emotions that practically perspire out of this five-track EP. Sure, they band’s not as overpoweringly bleak as Katatonia, but then very few are. That Katatonia sound is present though, alongside Anathema and slight hints of Paradise Lost circa “Draconian Times.”

The track “Satan & Swastika” brings to mind fellow countrymen Primordial without simply aping them. “Signs Of Bitterness,” from which the above lyric is quoted, and “The Final Transition” blend harrowing vocals and pained lyrics with excellent heavy metal that never slides into cliché. Avoiding the full-force blast that many bands think they have to play to be considered metal, Honey For Christ will undoubtedly hold an immense appeal for anyone who was around for and (can you say enjoyed?) the early-’90s British doom scene.

The title track, unsurprisingly, brings together the darkness and the light best. Technically it’s not light, just a brighter shade of dark, but the two complement each other. The roared chorus closes in menacingly and the verses branch out, offering the illusion of space. It’s the detached, meandering, melancholic mid-section of “Sorrow Descending” that’s the finest moment on here, although Andy Clarke’s vocals falter toward the end. That the guitarist has stepped up to fill the gap left by departed singer Jason Hendry is commendable and he does a fine job, but you’re left wondering if he’d be strong and varied enough to stretch his voice over a full-length record.

» honeyforchrist.com